Knitting machine stop motion



` Dec. 14, 1954 R. w. SHEPARD 2,696,722

Y KNYITTING MACHINE: sirop Morrow.-

Filed March 9, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 v INVENTOR. Ralph W Sbepcr/l'oUnitedStates Patent O KNITTING MACHINE STOP MOTION Ralph W. Shepard,Worcester, Mass.

Application March 9, 1954, Serial No. 414,966

4 claims. (ci. sis- 165) ploying this invention which embodies among itsfeatures means connected to the yarn guides and to the needles of aconventional warp knitting machine and operatively connected to theenergy supply means of the knitting machine for interrupting the supplyof energy to the energy supply means when a yarn guide deviates from itspath of movement to an extent that it contacts an adjacent needle, or aneedle deviates from its path of movement to an extent that it contactsan adjacent yarn guide.

Other features include a row of longitudinally spaced yarn guidescarried by the guide bar for movement therewith and being electricallyisolated from the guide bar and electrically connected to one terminalof a signalling circuit, and the other terminal of the signallingcircuit being connected to a row of needles mounted adjacent the guidebar for movement adjacent the guides, and means operatively connected tothe driving motor of the knitting machine and electrically connected tothe guides and to the needles for arresting the supply of energy to themotor when a needle contacts a yarn guide or a yarn guide contacts aneedle.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of a needle bar and of a guidebar showing the guides carried by the guide bar and the needles carriedby the needle bar electrically connected to a signalling circuit whichcontrols the supply of electrical energy to the drive motor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged face view of one of the guide supporting blocks;

Figure 3 is an edge view of the guide supporting block;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the bearded needle with theyarn guides in one position relative thereto;

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, showing the needle and yarnguides in another position;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing the needle and yarnguides in still another position;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the yarn guides in one positionrelative to a latch needle;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the yarn guides in adifferent position relative to the latch needle; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on theline 10-10 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a needle bar 10 carries a group ofclamp plates 12 which support knitting needles 14 in a position toextend in spaced parallel relation from one edge of the needle bar.Carried by the machine to rock about its longitudinal axis and to shogin a longitudinally extending path adjacent the needlebar 10 and inspaced parallel relation thereto is a guide bar 16 upon which the yarnguides, to be more fully hereinafter described, are supported formovement in closed paths which encompass the axes of the needles.

Mounted in juxtaposed relation on the guide bar 16 are blocks 18 ofelectrically conductive material carrying adjacent their edges which lieadjacent the needle bar 12 longitudinally spaced yarn guides 20 whichextend outwardly from the edge of the guide bar 16 adjacent the needlebar 10. Extending through each guide block 18 is an opening 22 in whichis tted a bushing 24 of nonconducting material, and carried by oppositeside edges of the block 18 are pads 26 of nonconducting material whichproject beyond the side of the guide block 18 which is disposed adjacentthe guide bar 16. Suitable attaching screws 28 extend through thebushings 24 to clampingly hold the guide blocks 18 on the guide bar 16,as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings.

Bearing against each block 18 is a clip 30 having extending therethroughan opening 32 for the accommodation of the bushing 24 and carried byeach clip is a spur 34 which is adapted to enter the adjacent block 1S,as illustrated in Figure l0, to establish good electrical contactbetween the block and the clip. Carried by the clip adjacent one endthereof is a loop 36 which is adapted to encircle in electrical contacttherewith a conductor 38. As illustrated in Figure l, the conductor 38extends through the loops 36 of the clips 30 carried by the respectiveblocks 18 on the guide bar 16 and is connected to one terminal of anelectronic relay 40, the opposite terminal of which is connected througha conductor 42 to the needle bar 10. Thus, it will be obvious that whena guide 20 contacts a needle 14 or a needle 14 contacts a guide 20during the operation of the machine, an electrical circuit will beestablished through the electronic relay, the output side of which iscoupled through the medium of conductors 44 and 46 to an intermediaterelay 48. The output side of the intermediate relay 48 is connectedthrough the medium of connectors 50 and 52 to a motor control switch 54through which electrical energy is supplied to the drive motor 56 of themachine.

In operation, it will be understood that as the guides 20 move in theirpredetermined paths during the normal operation of the machine adjacentthe needles 14, the knitting operation will progress. Should either aneedle, or a guide deviate from its normal path of movement to an extentthat it contacts an adjacent yarn guide or needle, respectively, anelectrical circuit will be closed through the electronic relay toactuate the intermediate relay and the control switch 54 to open thecontrol switch and interrupt the supply of energy to the motor 56. Suchaction will serve to arrest the operation of the knitting machine so asto prevent the production of faulty fabric and also notify an attendantthat the machine is out of adjustment. In this way, the attendant mayadjust the machine before any serious damage is done to theinstrumentalities which would entail a costly re air.

liy using the stop mechanism, herein described, it is obvious that theproduction of faulty fabric and the necessity of expensive repairs tothe mechanisms will be avoided.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a knitting machine having yarn guides which move in closed paths.needles which move in paths which extend within the closed paths, aprime mover operatively connected to the yarn guides and to the needlesfor moving them in their respective paths, means connected to the primemover for supplying energy thereto, and means connected to the yarnguides and to the needles and operatively connected to the energy supplymeans for interrupting the supply of energy to the prime mover when. ayarn guide deviates from its path of movement to anv extent that itycontacts an adjacent needle or a needle deviates from-.its-path ofmovement to an extent that it contacts an-adjacent yarn guide.

2. In a knitting machine having yarn guides which move in closed paths,needles which move in paths which extend Within the closed paths, meansoperatively connected to the yarn guidesandto theneedlesfor' moving"them in their respective paths, and means connected to the yarn guidesand to the needles for arresting operation of 'the yarn'` guides `.andneedles -When ta-yarn guidedeviates' from its path iomovementrtoanlextentsfthat itcontacts an adjacent needle-or a-needledeviatesiromlitspath. of'movement toanzextentlthat itl contactsari-adjacent yarn guide.

3.v lnV a kni.tting.maehinehavingaguide bar,a row'offlo-ngitudinally'spaced yarn guides carried -byurthe guide bar for.movement; byA said guide. bar in closed'paths,

said yarn t guides being inY electrical.communication .withl one anotherbut electrically isolated .from the guide bar,A

a row of'needl'es lmounted adjacent' the. guide' bar` for movement inVrectilinear paths which.l .extend .'through. the

closed paths, said". needles .being:; in electrical. .communi' cationwith one another, drive means-operatively zoni-l nected-Zto the guidebar; and to,tthexneedlesforzmoving them. in their respectivezpaths,electrically actuated means operatively connected.; to -the` drive lmeansv which, upon. energization, interrupts the: supplyiy of:energythereto, and.

or a needle deviates from its path of movement to an extent l that' itcontacts`l an" adjacent yarn guide'.

4. In a knitting machine aaguide bar mounted to rock about alongitudinal axis andto shog in a longitudinally extending path, aneedle bar mounted in spaced parallel relation to the guide bar, needlescarried by the needle bar and extending toward the guide bar, yarn guidesupporting blocks carried by tlefguide bar in electrically isolatedrelation thereto, yarnguides carried bythe yarn guide supportingeblocksand extending `outwardly therefrom towardthefneedles. formovementvinclosed paths which encompass the axes of the needles, a stopmotion operative'upjonenergizationfof a signalling-circuit to arrest theoperation of the machine, and opposite terminals of the signallingcircuitlbeing.electrically connected to the needle bar and to the yarnguide supporting blocks whereby when contact is eected between a yarnguide and a needle the signalling circuit will be energized and theoperation of L the :machine: will be; arrested.

References, Cited in; theflef of ,thisfpatentf UNITED' STATESv PATENTSINumber Name: Date 2,506,078 Grant May 2, 1950 2,506,645 Kellgget al.`yMayr9, 1950

